Koh Panyi vendors slammed for fleecing South Korean YouTubers

Thai netizens condemned local vendors on Koh Panyi, an island in the southern province of Phang Nga, for overcharging two South Korean YouTubers. Some netizens claimed that the island locals also overcharged domestic tourists.

The drama emerged after the YouTube channel Cullen HateBerry released a video in which Paek Ki Deuk, better known as Cullen, and his friend Jung visited Koh Panyi. Netizens and YouTubers’ fans pointed out their expenses: 1,000 baht for a boat trip and another 1,000 baht for souvenirs.

Some netizens guessed that the boat trip was expensive because they booked a private trip without other tourists on the same boat.

However, others were still curious about the price of the souvenirs. Cullen and Jung bought a pearl shell for 500 baht and a necklace for 300 baht. The total price was 800 baht, and Jung paid with a 1,000-baht bill.

Jung asked the seller for a discount. The seller did not give them a discount but suggested a necklace for free. However, the seller actually charged them 200 baht for the necklace, so the total cost they paid was 1,000 baht instead of 800 baht.

Many netizens stated that the prices were too expensive while others felt that the souvenir seller took advantage of the two YouTubers by tricking them into buying another necklace at 200 baht.

The criticism later escalated into religious discrimination, as some netizens stereotyped Muslim people as being tricky. Some pointed out that these South Korean YouTubers were cheated once before when they bought fried chicken from a Muslim stall in the Hat Yai district in Songkhla province.

Deputy mayor

Many netizens claimed that they were overcharged despite being a domestic tourist. They shared their negative experiences on the island of X, formerly Twitter.

“My friend and I went to Koh Panyi a few years ago. We ordered fried sea bass with fish sauce, and it cost us 1,600 baht. My friend and I were in shock!”

“I visited this island once, and it’s enough. Let it be an abandoned island.”

“Can I say it? But this happens everywhere. They overcharge tourists, especially foreigners. If foreigners are willing to pay, it’s fine. But sometimes those vendors pressure them to buy. My foreign friend once did not dare to say no but now he has to.”

Locals on the island and some netizens defended the prices as suitable for a tourist destination, stating that not everything on the island is expensive.

The Deputy Mayor of Koh Panyee Sub-district Office, Prasit Haemin, also came forward to defend locals in Koh Panyi. Prasit explained that the boat fare of 1,000 baht was not expensive at all because the boat driver had to take about 30 minutes to send the tourists to the island, return to the mainland, and pick them up the next morning.

Prasit also clarified that he already talked to the souvenir seller in the video. She revealed that the two YouTubers asked for a free product, so she gave them three pieces of souvenirs for 1,000 baht, down from the original price of 1,100 baht.

However, many fans of the YouTubers responded to the deputy mayor that the two asked for a discount, not free items. They added that Jung had never asked for a discount from any sellers before, which meant that these souvenirs were costly.

Prasit added in the interview with MGR Online that he and locals on the island were willing to take criticism and recommendations but they could not accept discrimination based on their religion. He urged netizens to refrain from criticising Muslim people and threatened legal action against those who did.